* Silent phase - Remember! Your 'new arrival' student might not speak for some time.
Don't panic! Don't put undue pressure on the learner to speak. Allow time for the student to listen, to comprehend and to internalise the language before having to produce it in written or spoken form.
'Ensuring understanding, ensures success'
* Use non-verbal cues as much as possible. Use gestures, facial expressions, visual supports (e.g. pictures, photos, drawings, maps, disagrams, videos, TV, computers, real life objects) or demonstrate and mime to accompany talk.
* Use natural language patterns of rhythm and intonation when talking to the students. Speak clearly and not too quickly so they can distinguish where one word ends and another word starts.
* Give consisten, clear and concise cues and instructions limiting these to no more than two at a time.
* Avoid giving non-essential information.
* Speak in meaningful chunks pausing between phrases to give time for the student to hear the new sounds, translate them, understand, form and answer, and translate back into English before answering.
* Be prepared to wait for the student to respond.
* Remember your student will understand more language than he/she can produce.
* Respond sensitively to what a learner is trying to say as this is more important at this stage than how he/she is saying it.
* Clarify what the student is saying by repeating what you think the student said, ask them to repeat or show what they want.